Return to Open Baladin

Last December I went to Open Baladin and it was a disaster. Well, the beer and crochette were great but the burger and potato chips were god awful. It was only a few months old at the time and I presume they have worked out most of the kinks, because I have been back since, most recently twice in the past two weeks, and things are better, though they are by no means perfect.

On my penultimate trip back, I got a Greek salad. This was a safe choice, I thought. The feta was spectacular, but the salad itself was overdressed. There was more oil in the bowl than Quinta in my glass. But I worked through it and freaked out the guys at the table next to mine by dissecting their burgers with my eyes while sipping my Saison from the Tuscia.

As opposed to the pulpy mess I had been served last December, their patties appeared juicy and bloody. I noticed Open has changed their buns, too. Good signs abound. But I’m still not quite up to ordering the burger there again. I find burger disappointment devastating and I’m not willing to risk it. I am really quite fragile when it comes to these things.

But I did try another of their meat dishes on my visit last week: 120g of tartare di Fassona, a species of cattle from Piedmont recognized by a Slow Food Presidium. The mass of chopped beef was served with a side of egg yolk. On a narrow, flat plate. Needless to say, this is not the best choice of dish, as it is impossible to mix the yolk and meat properly without making a mess. So much for mangiabilita’. Throwing caution to the wind, I really mashed things up anyway and got egg all over the place, but enjoyed the meal anyway.

I also got a side of potato chips with powdered liquorice. This was maybe one of the best things I have ever eaten. The chips were crispy, perfectly seasoned and surprisingly light–the exact opposite as I had found them in December. The powdered liquorice added an herbal sweetness to the chips. I was a bit horrified that they were served with ketchup, but I tried to ignore that and focused on their crunchy, salty, liquoricey goodness. I washed it all down with Le Baladin’s Isaac.

Overall, I find Open Baladin a pleasant place for a late or early lunch (the service goes a bit haywire during the rush (though I should mention the lunch servers are very nice, just too easily overwhelmed when the place is slammed). And it is undeniably an excellent place to drink Italian microbrews. I’d say the food and presentation isn’t flawless, but then again if I didn’t think Open Baladin cared about their food and its presentation, the assessment would be moot. I’ll keep going back to try more beers, and hopefully the improvements will continue. Who know’s I might finally break down and try the burger again!

What about those beer prices, Katie? I know small breweries need to be supported, but the last time I went to Open Baladin it was the prices that I found most devastating. If beer has to be sipped for fear of the price of the next glass, something’s gone wrong. I want to be able to ruin my liver before my finances.

The beer still costs €5 a glass, with a volume of 33cL. I wouldn’t call Le Baladin a small brewery and I find it counterintuitive to charge so much in a brewery owned pub unless the beer in question is exceptional and more expensive to produce (barrel aged, for example).

In Rome, major craft breweries or their buddies own the very places craft beers products are sold and distributed. Open Baladin/Le Baladin is just one example. Leonardo Di Vincenzo (Birra del Borgo) is part owner at Bir&Fud (the restaurant and shop) which is linked to Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa’ and Domus Birrae. It all seems a bit monopolistic to me and more aimed at earning money than creating an egalitarian beer culture in Rome. Certainly some beers at Open and other places should cost more than others but charging a flat price all across the board is ridiculous and sets craft beer up as an inaccessible product for most and one in which price does not signify quality.

“I find burger disappointment devastating and I’m not willing to risk it. I am really quite fragile when it comes to these things.” Two of your best sentences…
We *had to* eat a burger there in August (long story that involves “appropriate public behavior when with Italian friends”) and though I still don’t want to eat burgers there, they were better (juicier) but still rather tasteless, in the literal meaning of the word.

what’s wrong with the burgers in Italy? you mean apart from the fact that most of these burger-makers have never had a decent one they could strive towards? I think it is the fat – they think a hamburger is just a fried/grilled lump of tartare (which you can get very nice examples of since good beef is obviously existent) hence it painfully lacks the essential fat and the hold & taste it would bring.
Am excited to hear what you write about this.

haha dont worry i cannot spell, nor will i ever be able to. let’s just make peace with our shortcomings;)

i think you are absolutely correct about the lack of fat. both gourmet burgers as well as those of the fast food persuasion (i am speaking of in-n-out, not mcd’s) have a significant fat content. in-n-out is 60% lean and that 40% fat makes all the difference in taste. there are a bunch of other factors at work here and im eager to hear your thoughts. ill send you the link as soon as the post is up!